tow TOYOTA RAV4 2001 Owner's Manual

'01 Rav4_U (L/O 0008)
2042001 RAV4 (OM42483U)
Aluminum wheels: Use only a mild soap
or neutral detergent.
Plastic bumpers: Wash carefully. Do not
scrub with abrasive cleaners. The bumper
faces are soft.
Road tar: Remove with turpentine or
cleaners that are marked safe for painted
surfaces.
NOTICE
Do not use organic substances (gaso-
line, kerosene, benzine or strong sol-
vents), which may be toxic or cause
damage.
3. Rinse thoroughlyÐdried soap can
cause streaking. In hot weather you
may need to rinse each section right
after you wash it.
4. To prevent water spots, dry the vehicle
using a clean soft cotton towel. Do not
rub or press hardÐyou might scratch
the paint.Automatic car wash
Your vehicle may be washed in an auto-
matic car wash, but remember that the
paint can be scratched by some type of
brushes, unfiltered washing water, or the
washing process itself. Scratching reduces
paint durability and gloss, especially on
darker colors. The manager of the car
wash should be able to advise you wheth-
er the process is safe for the paint on
your vehicle.
NOTICE
To prevent damage to the antenna,
make sure it is removed before driv-
ing your Toyota through an automatic
car wash.
Waxing your Toyota
Polishing and waxing is recommended
to maintain the original beauty of your
Toyota's finish.
Once a month or if the vehicle surface
does not repel water well, apply wax.
1. Always wash and dry the vehicle be-
fore you begin waxing, even if you are
using a combined cleaner and wax.2. Use a good quality polish and wax. If
the finish has become extremely weath-
ered, use a car±cleaning polish, fol-
lowed by a separate wax. Carefully fol-
low the manufacturer 's instructions and
precautions. Be sure to polish and wax
the chrome trim as well as the paint.
3. Wax the vehicle again when water
does not bead but remains on the sur-
face in large patches.
NOTICE
Always remove the plastic bumpers if
your vehicle is re±painted and placed
in a high heat paint waxing booth.
High temperatures could damage the
bumpers.
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'01 Rav4_U (L/O 0008)
222001 RAV4 (OM42483U)
When all the side doors and back door
are unlocked simultaneously with a key,
the interior light comes on for about 15
seconds and then fades out, even if the
door is not opened. (For further informa-
tion, see ªInterior lightsº on page 82 in
Section 1±4.)
Operating the power door lock switch or
wireless remote control transmitter simul-
taneously locks or unlocks the back door
(see ªSide doorsº on page 12 in this sec-
tion).
When closing the back door, make sure
it is fully closed.
See ªLuggage stowage precautionsº on
page 162 in Section 2 for precautions to
observe in loading luggage.CAUTION

Keep the back door closed while
driving. This not only keeps the
luggage from being thrown out but
also prevents exhaust gases from
entering the vehicle.

If the open back door hides the
stop, tail or rear turn signal lights
while you are parked, other road
users must be warned of the pres-
ence of your vehicle by a warning
triangle or other device.
Hood
To open the hood:
1. Pull the hood lock release lever. The
hood will spring up slightly.
CAUTION
Before driving, be sure that the hood
is closed and securely locked. Other-
wise, the hood may open unexpected-
ly while driving and an accident may
occur.
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'01 Rav4_U (L/O 0008)
302001 RAV4 (OM42483U)
CAUTION

Any operations should not be made
while the vehicle is moving.

When adjusting the seat, be careful
not to hit the seat against a pas-
senger or luggage.

Adjust both seat cushions to the
same position and align both seat-
backs at the same angle when a
person sits on the rear center posi-
tion. Otherwise, the person cannot
wear seat belt properly and this
may cause serious injuries in a col-
lision.

After adjusting the seat position,
try sliding it forward and backward
to make sure it is lock in position.

After adjusting the seatback, exert
body pressure to make sure it is
locked in position.

When returning seats to their origi-
nal position:
Make sure the seat belts are not
twisted or caught under the seat
and are arranged in their proper
position and are ready to use.
Make sure the seat is securely
locked by pushing forward and rear-
ward on the top of the seatback or
by trying to pull up the edge of the
bottom cushion. Failure to do so
will prevent seat belt from operat-
ing properly.
Folding the seats up will enlarge the lug-
gage compartment. See ªLuggage stowage
precautionsº on page 162 in Section 2 for
precautions in loading luggage.
ÐAdjusting rear seats
Rear seatsÐ
ÐRear seat precautions
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'01 Rav4_U (L/O 0008)
322001 RAV4 (OM42483U)
ÐFolding up rear seats
BEFORE FOLDING UP REAR SEAT
Stow the rear center seat belt, do the
following:
1. Pull the seat belt out of its cover a
little and insert the concave end tab
into the higher slot of the cover.2. Insert the round end tab into the
cover. You will hear a click when the
tabs are locked in the seat belt cov-
er. Make sure the tabs are securely
locked in the cover.
NOTICE
The seat belt must be stowed before
you fold the seatback.
FOLDING UP REAR SEATS
1. Hold the center of the lever and pull
it up. Then slide the front seat fully
forward.
Folding up the rear seats will enlarge the
luggage compartment. See ªLuggage stow-
age precautionsº on page 162 in Section
2 for precautions in loading luggage.
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'01 Rav4_U (L/O 0008)
352001 RAV4 (OM42483U)
CAUTION
When returning seats to their original
position:

Make sure the seat belts are not
twisted or caught under the seat
and are arranged in their proper
position and are ready to use.

Make sure the seat is securely
locked by pushing forward and rear-
ward on the top of the seatback or
by trying to pull up the edge of the
bottom cushion. Failure to do so
will prevent seat belt from operat-
ing properly.
ÐRemoving rear seats
1. Fold up rear seats. (See ªÐFolding
up rear seatsº on page 32 in this
section for instructions.)2. Unlock the seat by pulling the lock
release lever. Pull the seat toward
you slightly and lift.
Removing the rear seats will enlarge the
luggage compartment. See ªLuggage stow-
age precautionsº on page 162 in Section
2 for precautions in loading luggage.
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'01 Rav4_U (L/O 0008)
452001 RAV4 (OM42483U)
To release the concave end tab, insert the
key into the hole on buckle 1 (with light
gray buckle±release button) and allow the
belt to retract.CAUTION
Do not use the rear center seat belt
with either buckle released. Fastening
only the shoulder belt or lap belt may
cause severe personal injury in case
of sudden braking or a collision.
STOWING THE REAR CENTER SEAT
BELT
1. To stow the rear center seat belt,
pull the seat belt out of its cover a
little and insert the concave end tab
into the higher slot of the cover.
ÐStowing the rear center
seat belt
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'01 Rav4_U (L/O 0008)
462001 RAV4 (OM42483U)
2. Insert the round end tab into the
cover. You will hear a click when the
tabs are locked in the seat belt cov-
er. Make sure the tabs are securely
locked in the cover.
Seat belt must be stowed before you fold
the seatback. (See ªÐFolding up rear
seatsº on page 32 or ªÐRemoving rear
seatsº on page 35 in this section.)
NOTICE
Stow the rear center seat belt except
when you are wearing it.
PULLING OUT THE REAR CENTER SEAT
BELT
To use the rear center seat belt, pull
the belt out a little and then pull the
tabs out from the cover.
ÐSeat belt extender
If your seat belt cannot be fastened se-
curely because it is not long enough, a
personalized seat belt extender is avail-
able from your Toyota dealer free of
charge.
Please contact your local Toyota dealer so
that the dealer can order the proper re-
quired length for the extender. Bring the
heaviest coat you expect to wear for prop-
er measurement and selection of length.
Additional ordering information is available
at your Toyota dealer.
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'01 Rav4_U (L/O 0008)
842001 RAV4 (OM42483U)
Windshield wipers and washer
To turn on the windshield wipers, move
the lever to the desired setting.
The key must be in the ªONº position.
Lever position
Speed setting
Position 1Intermittent
Position 2Slow
Position 3Fast
For a single sweep of the windshield,
push the lever up and release it.
To squirt washer fluid, pull the lever
toward you.
If the windshield wipers are off, they will
operate a couple of times after the washer
squirts.For instructions on adding washer fluid,
see ªAdding washer fluidº on page 235 in
Section 7±3.
In freezing weather, warm the windshield
with the defroster before using the washer.
This will help prevent the washer fluid
from freezing on your windshield, which
can block your vision.
NOTICE
Do not operate the wipers if the wind-
shield is dry. It may scratch the
glass.
Rear window wiper and washer
To turn on the rear window wiper, twist
the lever knob upward.
The key must be in the ªONº position.
Lever position
Speed setting
Position 1Intermittent
Position 2Normal
To squirt washer fluid on the rear window,
twist the knob upward or downward as far
as it will go (position 3 or 4). The knob
automatically returns from these positions
after you release it.
For instructions on adding washer fluid,
see ªAdding washer fluidº on page 235 in
Section 7±3.
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'01 Rav4_U (L/O 0008)
892001 RAV4 (OM42483U)
Your vehicle may overheat during severe
operating conditions, such as:

Driving up a long hill on a hot day.

Reducing speed or stopping after high
speed driving.

Idling for a long period with the air
conditioning on in stop±and±go traffic.

Towing a trailer.
NOTICE
Do not remove the thermostat in
the engine cooling system as this
may cause the engine to overheat.
The thermostat is designed to con-
trol the flow of coolant to keep the
temperature of the engine within
the specified operating range.
Do not continue driving with an
overheated engine. See ªIf your ve-
hicle overheatsº on page 186 in
Section 4.
Tachometer
The tachometer indicates engine speed
in thousands of rpm
( revolutions per
minute). Use it while driving to select
correct shift points and to prevent en-
gine lugging and over±revving.
Driving with the engine running too fast
causes excessive engine wear and poor
fuel economy. Remember, in most cases
the slower the engine speed, the greater
the fuel economy.
NOTICE
Do not let the indicator needle get
into the red zone. This may cause
severe engine damage.
Odometer and two trip meters
This meter displays the odometer and
two trip meters.
1. OdometerÐShows the total distance
the vehicle has been driven.
2. Two trip metersÐShow two different
distances independently driven since
the last time each trip meter was set
to zero.
You can use one trip meter to calculate
the fuel economy and the other to
measure the distance on each trip. All
trip meter data is cancelled if the elec-
trical power source is disconnected.
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'01 Rav4_U (L/O 0008)
982001 RAV4 (OM42483U)
(b) Overdrive switch
You can select either third gear (with
overdrive off) or fourth gear (with over-
drive on) by pushing this switch.
To turn the overdrive off, push the switch.
The ªO/D OFFº indicator light should come
on. To turn the overdrive on again, push
the switch again. The ªO/D OFFº indicator
light should go off.
Always drive your vehicle with the over-
drive on for better fuel economy and
quieter driving.
If the engine is turned off when the over-
drive is off and restarted, the overdrive
will automatically be on.Vehicles with cruise controlÐWhen the
cruise control is being used, even if you
downshift the transmission by pushing and
releasing the overdrive switch, engine
braking will not be enabled because the
cruise control is not cancelled.
For ways to decrease the vehicle speed,
see ªCruise controlº on page 103 in this
section.
(c) Normal driving
1. Start the engine as instructed in ªHow
to start the engineº on page 168 in
Section 3. The transmission must be in
ªPº or ªNº.
2. With your foot holding down the brake
pedal, shift the selector lever to ªDº.
When the lever is in the ªDº position, the
automatic transmission system will select
the most suitable gear for running condi-
tions such as normal cruising, hill climb-
ing, hard towing, etc.
Always turn the overdrive on for better
fuel economy and quieter driving. If the
engine coolant temperature is low, the
transmission will not shift into the over-
drive gear even with the overdrive on.
CAUTION
Never put your foot on the accelera-
tor pedal while shifting.
3. Release the parking brake and brake
pedal. Depress the accelerator pedal
slowly for smooth starting.
(d) Using engine braking
To use engine braking, you can downshift
the transmission as follows:

Push the overdrive switch. The ªO/D
OFFº indicator light will come on and
the transmission will downshift to third
gear.

Shift into the ª2º position. The trans-
mission will downshift to second gear
when the vehicle speed drops down to
or lower than the following speed, and
stronger engine braking will be en-
abled.
Two±wheel drive models
108 km/h (67 mph)
Four±wheel drive models
103 km/h (64 mph)
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